Passion instead of runs

We had set ourselves big goals for the last two games in Neunkirchen – and we knew how demanding they would be. With only ten players, not all of them fully fit, we faced a young, strong, and highly motivated team.

All the more impressive was the fight our girls put up, which has left me deeply moved and proud: If anyone wants to understand the meaning of team sport, they shouldn’t ask the internet — they should simply come to one of our games. This team, that holds together so strongly and grows beyond itself especially when trailing, is incomparable. As much as the defeats hurt — what this group showed is priceless.

Perhaps it is also a sign of the respect we have now earned that opponents do not hesitate to bring in Bundesliga experience when they face us. For us, that is not a disappointment, but rather an honor: we are taken seriously.

With the new game format, we played around twelve more innings than in the previous season — a gain for our development, but also a personal challenge for each individual. Everyone has learned to push beyond their limits, endure setbacks, and still function as a team. With a record of 13 wins to 11 losses, we now head into the offseason. Considering everything we experimented with during the season, that is more than remarkable.

But the record and the standings only tell half the story: This year we played the best softball we’ve ever played. Games at the highest level, showing how much heart, passion, and quality are in this team. Every single player has developed — in the field, at bat, or in her role on the team. Many took on responsibilities they never would have imagined at the start of the season, laying the foundation for us to be broader and stronger as a squad.

Nine wins in a row also showed what this team is capable of when focused and united. Softball in Düsseldorf now has a clear perspective. We are especially proud of our six players under the age of 15, whom we can now carefully develop step by step. For us, this means responsibility not only in sport but also as people: to be role models, to give support, and to create spaces where young players can grow.

We look ahead with great anticipation to the winter season and the challenges to come — with a team that has my heart. Special thanks go to the entire Senators Ladies team, who worked tirelessly both on and off the field. Without your dedication, your support, and your belief in this team, much would not have been possible.

And of course, we warmly congratulate Neunkirchen on winning the Landesliga championship — a strong opponent and a well-deserved titleholder.

Pitch by Pitch Against Discrimination

For the first time, a team from the Düsseldorf Senators took the field not in their usual maroon, but in pink jerseys.
Just like the weather – with over 32 °C, one of the hottest days of the year so far – the ladies shone in the bright color of silent protest. A statement of solidarity with all those who experience discrimination and exclusion in any form.

“It is very important to us, especially in these chaotic times, to take a clear stand – and to wear the ‘Pink Against Racism’ logo in addition to our club emblem,” the coaches stated in unison.

“A huge thank you to Druckhaus Boeken. Without you, this project wouldn’t have been possible.”

This day also marked the return of Lina Schwippert, who will support the softball team until September. The left-handed pitcher, who has worn the Senators’ jersey for four years, is also playing this season – thanks to dual registration – for reigning champions Wesseling Vermins and the German national team.

“We are incredibly proud and happy that Lina returns to Düsseldorf every year to support her hometown and our team. Her positive energy especially inspires our younger players – Lina is a true role model for them.”

Game 1 – Determination, Heat, Heart

Despite the prominent addition, the coaches stuck to their strategy.

There was no reason to change anything, so they went into the game with the same team that had performed strongly in every match so far.

“We need stability. And we get that when we can field our well-practiced team week after week. We’re fortunate to be in that position.”

Katja started as pitcher, and even before the first pitch it was clear: today, they were up against two opponents – the Neunkirchen softball team and the heat.

“We had five pitchers we could have used. Knowing that takes pressure off me as a coach – and takes a load off the players’ shoulders. Today was also about managing energy wisely.”

A strategy that seemed to work.

After two innings and a solid 10:4 lead, Katja handed the ball to Lina.

“Our pitching was excellent. Offensively, we stayed determined but patient. We looked for our chances – and took them. Sure, a few fewer errors on defense would’ve been nice, but that’s how it goes sometimes. The final score of 13:6 is absolutely fair.”

Game 2 – Security, Playing Time, Support

In the second game, Lina took over as the starting pitcher.

“It was about two things,” the head coach explained the decision. “Getting a solid start to keep the defensive innings short – and giving Lina some playing time.”

Two clean innings with six strikeouts spoke for themselves.

With the Senators leading 4–1, Olivia took the mound – and once again showed her growing form.

“It’s just amazing to see how she’s blossoming in this team, gaining more and more confidence. She’s unconditionally supported by everyone – and that’s what makes us so strong.”

But the defense couldn’t get Olivia out of the inning. With the score now 6–4 in favor of the Nightmares, the coaches had to take her out with two outs.

“It speaks volumes when Olivia walks back to the dugout to applause from the whole team. That’s exactly the kind of moment we want to see.”

Katja took over and kept the game alive – but the heat was beginning to take its toll.

By the fourth inning, time had expired and the Senators were trailing by six runs.

“To be honest, I didn’t think we’d turn it around,” admitted the head coach.

“But then – bases loaded, no outs – and I hear Kiki is on third as the winning run. That’s when I knew we could do it.”

And the team did it: Melisa, back on the field after a long break, delivered the decisive walk-off with a hit into right field.

“You could tell how exhausted we all were by the way that hit wasn’t celebrated like usual – it was received more with gratitude. We’re incredibly proud of the girls and give huge respect to the young Nightmares team as well.”

“That we didn’t celebrate wildly after such a hard-fought game – where everyone was running on their last reserves – is also a sign of respect for the opponent.”

A big thank you goes out to all the fans who supported, cheered, and carried us through this scorcher of a day.

Also, a huge shoutout to our umpires and scorers – without you, a day like this wouldn’t be possible. Your calm, focus, and dedication make it possible for us to do what we love out on the field.

Thank you for being part of it.

Ladies make a statement

Düsseldorf Senators Make a Statement Against Undefeated Nightmares

On Sunday, May 11, 2025, the long-awaited matchup took place in Neunkirchen between the Düsseldorf Senators women’s softball team and the previously undefeated Neunkirchen Nightmares. Head Coach Frank Mohr’s team used the three-week break following their split against Krefeld not just for recovery, but for intensive preparation against the league leaders.

“Especially in the final week leading up to the game, we worked hard on our game plan — both defensively and offensively,” explained Head Coach Mohr. “We meticulously practiced plays and ran through all kinds of scenarios with our battery.”

Scouting the opponent was also high on the agenda: “We closely analyzed the Nightmares’ recent games and knew we had to be ready for anything — including players you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see in a regional league game.”

With that, the Senators Ladies entered both games not only highly motivated but also exceptionally well prepared.

As a neutral spectator, you might have rubbed your eyes in disbelief at the determination with which the Düsseldorf team faced the undefeated league leaders (8–0). On offense, the Senators lit a firework — playing boldly and aggressively on the bases and constantly putting Neunkirchen under pressure. At the plate, they stayed focused and kept their cool throughout.

“The fact that we played with such discipline is no coincidence — it’s the result of months of hard work by our hitting coach, Patrick Mohr,” Frank Mohr added. “Hardly a day goes by when we’re not thinking about softball — we read, watch, analyze, and learn from the best in the sport. Success is no accident; it’s the product of dedication and effort.”

That approach was also evident in the pitcher’s circle, where five different pitchers took the mound — two of whom made their debut in the second game.

“I want to once again emphasize that the decision to play a doubleheader in the regional league was absolutely the right one. It’s the only way we can consistently develop our young talent,” said Mohr.

As they did in their home opener against the Krefeld Crows, the Senators also used the second game in Neunkirchen to follow their own path — regardless of the score.

“The second game always gives us the chance to try new things — and that’s exactly what we do.”

Karen and Olivia made their debut in the circle. “Karen had already gained some experience in a scrimmage against the reigning national champions from Wesseling, but for Olivia, it was her very first outing. We agreed on three batters — and that’s exactly what she faced.”

Despite holding a solid lead, the coaches deliberately chose not to fall back on veteran players. “Our team’s development comes first. Our young players only grow when we trust them with responsibility. That’s why the narrow 10–9 loss in the second game doesn’t hurt at all — in fact, it doesn’t diminish our outstanding performance that day in the slightest.”

And let’s not forget: the Senators won the first game convincingly, 6–2 — a clear statement and a strong sign of progress.

Without a Pitcher, but with a lot of heart

Seeing consistently happy faces after a loss is rare. However, for the Senators Ladies, good spirits are always part of the program, and they never bury their heads in the sand after a defeat.

“Of course, we would have liked a better season finale, but I still think we put up a great fight. Let’s not forget that we didn’t have a pitcher. Three starters were out at the last minute, and two couldn’t make it due to the rescheduled game, which completely threw all our plans out the window.”

“So, the rescheduled game against the Nightmares wasn’t exactly played under a lucky star, was it?

“The stars are always there, and they’re the same for everyone. There’s no such thing as good or bad luck. The only thing that matters is what you make of the circumstances. And we’re pretty good at that.”

This statement hits the truth pretty squarely. Because if the Düsseldorf Senators Ladies deserved any title this year, it would certainly be for the best improvisation.

“What the girls pulled off on the field yesterday makes us coaches incredibly proud. When we told the team that we wouldn’t have a starting pitcher available for the game against the Neunkirchen Nightmares, there wasn’t any sign of discouragement. On the contrary: the willingness to fill any possible gap for the team is the strength of this fantastic squad. In the end, only one player was actually playing in her usual position.”

When asked what he thought when he saw Neunkirchen’s starting lineup, the head coach gave us the following response:

“When we saw the Nightmares’ lineup, it was clear what this was about. I take it as a huge compliment when they field two players with Bundesliga experience against us. One of them is even a national player and pitched in the semifinals of the German Championship, as well as the day before against Regensburg in the German Cup. In the state league, that’s maybe a bit of overkill, but so what.”

Was the team aware of this?

“Of course. We always communicate openly and honestly with the girls. They should know what to expect from us and the opponent. They have to go into the game with the right mindset, because once it’s time for ‘Play Ball,’ we as coaches only have limited influence. There’s no point in beating around the bush. The team dynamic is strong enough—everyone supports each other, cheers each other on, and is always there for one another. And because we as coaches know that, we can speak openly with them.”

And in fact, there was no sign of nervousness. Quite the opposite! The Ladies gave it their all from the start and were able to use the element of surprise to their advantage. Long at-bats and bold base running were the keys to success. After three innings, they were still within striking distance (2:6) and put up a determined fight. The turning point came in the fourth inning when the starter began to tire.

“We didn’t pull Sarah T. out of the game because she was doing a poor job.”

And there was no reason to either, as her 4 strikeouts were more than impressive, keeping the Nightmares’ offense under control up to that point.

“Sarah T. isn’t a pitcher and had already thrown over 120 pitches by then. It was our job to protect her, not to win the game at any cost. Nothing is more important than the health of our players. That should always be the first duty of a coach. We take that very seriously.”

The team gathered together in the circle, and after a quick discussion, the ball was handed over to Sarah S., who had been filling the gap at shortstop after starting the game in the outfield.

“Sarah S. is a phenomenon. She’s never too proud to step into any position where there’s a vacancy, no questions asked.”

However, she couldn’t prevent the loss either, and by the end of the fourth inning, the score stood at 17:2 for Neunkirchen.

“If you only look at the bare numbers, you might say we got a pretty big beating here today, right? But that’s far from the truth. We know the circumstances under which we played and understand that we delivered a fantastic performance. We didn’t make it easy for the Neunkirchen Nightmares, and they had to fight hard for their win.”

With a record of 7:7, the season ends with a fifth-place finish in the state softball league. How do you evaluate this position?

“I never judge the league standings; I always evaluate how we present ourselves on the field, how we progress from training to training and from game to game. That’s more important to us as coaches than the standings. We had an excellent season, with ups and downs, as is normal in sports. We have a fantastic team that clearly has a bright future. The addition of five new players this year speaks for itself. More new players will follow and will be announced soon. Our team is getting stronger season by season, and softball in Düsseldorf is becoming more and more the embodiment of a club sport that people love to spend their free time on. What more could we ask for?”

SENATORS LADIES GO THE FULL DISTANCE

One weekend, two games.

Due to the bad weather conditions, many games were postponed at the start of the season or canceled at short notice. So last weekend, it was “Play Ball” twice on Benrather Südallee.

Guests: the Neunkirchen 2 and Ratingen 2 teams.

“Let’s not be confused by the 2 after the team name,” explained Frank Mohr. “Of course, these are junior teams in which the young talents from Neunkirchen and Ratingen in particular should gain match practice, but they are always filled up with players from the first team.”

“Which is perfectly fine,” Mohr continued. “This gives us the opportunity to play against strong teams and see where we stand. Nevertheless, second teams are always a kind of surprise package. You never know exactly who you are playing against.”

First and foremost, we were happy to finally be able to get back into the action, because the breaks were too long and the games too irregular. Practice could only take place sporadically or in the gym due to the weather.

“We haven’t been able to find a real rhythm yet and are basically starting from scratch.”

As if to prove the coach wrong, the ladies got off to a flying start and gained a comfortable lead in the first three innings.

Minimize weak periods

“We now start the games concentrated and are wide awake from the first second – something we missed in the past. But then we are happy to allow ourselves a weak period in the middle of the game. That is something we will work on.”

Frank Mohr does not want this to be understood as negative criticism, because:

“The girls have been on the field for over 6.5 hours in the last 24 hours and have really thrown everything into it. Maintaining concentration the whole time is virtually impossible. We played with an almost identical team against two great opponents whose first teams are not playing in the Softball Bundesliga for nothing.”

Both games went the full 7 innings and were only decided in the last inning.

“It was a déjà vu when we went into the 7th inning against the Goose Necks. Once again we had our backs against the wall and I just thought, hopefully the girls will reward themselves for their efforts.”

The day before, it hadn’t quite been enough against Neunkirchen and they lost a hard-fought game by just one run (20:21).

But things didn’t look good at first, as they went into the decisive inning with a deficit of 3 runs, which would have only equalized the score.

“This team never ceases to amaze us. Giving up is not an option for our ladies.”

We’re talking about the enormous comeback qualities that make them dangerous right up to the end. And so the bases were loaded step by step; a walk brought the first run across home plate. 3 more runs and the walk off would be perfect.

“You didn’t really dare to believe it anymore. We already had two outs when it was the next batter’s turn. But the girls just keep playing, they don’t worry. Not even when the count is 2-2.”

2 Out when winning run scored

“I have to say, we hadn’t had much of any use on the bat up to that point, and some of our base hits were rather lucky, but the next pitch was hit really hard.”

The line drive flew to the edge of the field for a 3 run triple, leaving the Senators as the winners of an exciting game. And so the moment belonged to the players alone, who all stormed onto the field towards third base to celebrate the walk off.

“The girls really deserved it. It would have broken my heart to see them leave the field as losers again in a hard-fought game.”

In the end, the score was 18:17 for the Düsseldorf Senators against a strong team from Ratingen, whom we would like to thank for a fair game on equal terms. Our thanks also go to the team from Neunkirchen.

The ladies now have to pack their suitcases for the next four weeks, because the Jülich Duchess, Ennepetal Raccoons, Neunkirchen Nightmares and the Yaks from Verl/Gütersloh are waiting on the route.

Ladies Home Opener, a success

Home premiere successful. The ladies of the Düsseldorf Senators won 16:1 against the Neunkirchen Nightmares and, with this victory, secured a place in the middle of the softball Landesliga.

“We were extremely excited and tense.” Head coach Frank Mohr tries to put his thoughts into words. “The first home game is always something special. So many people did a great job behind the scenes that I can’t even list them all because I’m worried I’ll forget someone. A big thank you to all of you.”

The home opener was being worked on weeks in advance. Posters were printed and distributed around the city. The logo of the Senators and the likeness of the Softball Ladies could be seen in numerous shops.

“Something that makes us incredibly proud afterwards. The response was enormous.”

However, anyone who thought that the ladies were expecting a rush of spectators is wrong. It is important to them that they are seen and noticed in Düsseldorf. Further collaborations are pending, but those responsible for the team don’t want to rush things.

“Processes take time and we want to take it easy.”

kongstarker first pitch on Südallee

A trend-setting signal for the softball ladies is the cooperation with Beer Kong. The two beer brewers from Düsseldorf provide the team and the spectators with high-quality beers of a special kind.

The statement you have to make is also unique. The entire proceeds from the beers sold are donated to a charity at the end of the season.

Thank you Caro and Janine (Beer Kong) for being a part of our family.

Of course, softball was also played on this very day and it was successful. Against a young team from Neunkirchen, the ladies went into the game highly concentrated and were focused right from the start. Outstanding performances in the circle, as well as at bat, quickly brought the ladies from Düsseldorf onto the road to victory. However, they didn’t get anything for free, because the Nightmares’ starter, who was in a very good mood, made a great game.

“We have a lot of respect for the Nightmares and are certain that we have seen a team of the future here today,” said Frank Mohr immediately after the game.

But the Senators’ starter didn’t need to hide either. She threw a complete game and only allowed one run. It was a fast-paced, highlight-filled game that saw a deserved winner in the Senators.

“We offered the crowd a great game and are pretty sure that we will soon be able to welcome even more Düsseldorfer to the Südallee.”

Ladies on the road again

The softball team of the Düsseldorf Senators recorded the first win of the still young 2023 season and crowned the all-round perfect day with a splendid team performance. The mistakes from the past games, which were worked up in training, could be reduced to a minimum and so the game was dictated from the start by a strong defense. Of the fifteen required outs that day, the pitchers recorded seven for themselves.

“The performance curve continues to point steadily upwards and allows us to look forward to the tasks ahead with confidence.” Head coach Frank Mohr praises his two pitchers.

“There’s still room for improvement.”

However, the game in Seelscheid was not an easy one. The young team of the Neunkirchen Nightmares demanded everything from the Senators Ladies, especially in the first half of the game, and so it came to the expected game at eye level.

“If we look at the game through to the end of the fourth inning, it was a fast-paced and exciting game with both teams giving their all.”

The lead played so far, 10:5 for the ladies of the Düsseldorf Senators, reflected the game in a fair way.

The runs were all achieved through hard hitting balls and courages base running.

For the first time of the season it was possible to play with more than one substitute, which presented the coaches with an enjoyable but challenging task.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had that many players with us, at least I have to think back a long time. Our goal was to let everyone play, regardless of the result, and we managed to do that. We were finally able to play out the fantastic tactical possibilities that softball has to offer. That was really a fun today.”

The darn fourth inning didn’t get us and the substitutions and re-substitutions didn’t break the game. On the contrary, they tended to contribute to the necessary relief.

“The girls from Neunkirchen showed a very good and courageous game. The result of 25:6 is clearly too high,” sums up Frank Mohr. “This team of young players has a future and we are already looking forward to the second game in June.”

After three away games in a row and almost 700 km on German highways, the ladies are more than grateful for the upcoming two-week break.

On June 4th, 2023, the derby will take place in Wuppertal, before the ladies invite you to their long-awaited home opener on June 18th, 2023.